Vegetable package



April 9, 1963 o. R. BEECH VEGETABLE PACKAGE Filed Aug. 17, 1960 FIG. 5.

FIG. 4.

INVENTOR OREN R.' BEECH BY gm nanmg ATTORNEY 3,084,842 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 3,084,842 VEGETABLE PACKAGE Oren R. Beech, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to T. 0. Plastics, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Aug. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 50,187 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-2.5)

This invention relates to an improvement in vegetable package and deals particularly with a means of holding the package in closed position.

During recent years apparatus has been produced for forming packages of sheet plastic and the like. Due to the advances made in such apparatus and the reduction in price of the thin plastic films used, it has become practical to provide transparent pocketed packages for the packaging of tomatoes and other items of this type. Certain such packages have been made providing two similar pocketed trays vhingedly connected together along an edge and foldable into superimposed relation to enclose the contents in the pockets.

While packages of this type have been found commercially practical and have been produced in considerable volume, one objection to the packages has been experienced. When the two trays have been folded together, they have been normally held in this position through the use of metal staples or similar fastening means. As a result, the purchasers have had some 'difliculty in readily opening the packages, it being usually necessary to pry the metal staple open, or to tear the staples through the plastic sheeting. In short, the big objection has been that the packages could not be opened easily enough. The stapling of the packages closed has also been somewhat time consuming on the part of those packing the packages.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a package of the same general type as those previously in use comprising two tray sections hingedly' connected together andhaving a marginal flange designed to rest in face contact when the two sections are hinged closed, and to provide a simple and effective means of locking the two sections together so as to effectively hold the sections in closed position. The locking means is so arranged that the two sections may be locked by merely depressing locking tongues spaced about the periphery of the sections. At the same time, the two sections may be unlocked for opening by merely flexing the locking tongues in the opposite direction to disconnect them.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of spaced cuts extending into the periphery of one of the sections and defining a flexible tab therebetween. The other of the sections is provided with a pair of cut lines which extend into the periphery of the other section to define a locking tongue therebetween. The cuts defining the locking tongue define a greater area therebetween than the cuts defining the tab. In other words, the locking tongues are wider than the tabs and must flex into concave form to pass between the cuts defining the tab until the tongue passes through the flange having the tab. The edges of the locking tongue then engage beneath the flange bearing the tab and hold the two flanges in face contact.

In preferred form, the tabs of one section are defined by spaced parallel cut lines a predetermined distance apart while the locking tongue is defined by converging cut lines which converge to points approximately said predetermined distance apart at the base of the tongue. As a result, the base of the tongue may extend between the cut lines defining the tab while the outer end of the locking tongue may engage beneath the flange supporting the tab on either side of the tab.

These and other objects and novel features of the pres- 2 ent invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification: FIGURE 1 is a plan View of the package in open position.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the package in closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through the package on the'line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of portions of the flanges of the two sections while the sections are slightly open and before they are locked together.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the flanges of the two sections after these flanges have been locked together.

The package is indicated in general by the letter A. The package includes a base section 10 and a cover section 11. A channel shaped groove 12 connects the two sections and forms a hinge between them.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, the section 10 includes a flat marginal flange 13 having a series of four pockets 14 formed therein. The various pockets 14 are connected by ridged concave portions 15 designed to strengthen the package in both directions. The pockets 14 are provided with circular flat areas 16 at their bases, the flat areas .16 being connected to the rounded walls of the pockets by frusto conical portions 17 best seen in FIGURE 3. The purpose of the flat areas 16 is to form a base so that the package may be rested on a flat surface without danger of bulging the rounded walls of the pockets inwardly.

The upper section 11 is provided with corresponding pockets 19 which are arranged to register with the pockets 14 when the two sections are folded into superimposed relation. The pockets 19 are connected by concave ribbed portions 20 to add rigidity to the construction. In general, the two sections 10 and 11 are similar except that the flattened areas 16 are sometimes omitted from the top section as illustrated.

Each of the side edges 21 and 22 of the bottom section 10 are provided intermediate their ends with spaced out lines 22 and 23 which define therebetween a tab 24 of predetermined length and width. The end edge 25 which is opposite the hinge 12 is similarly provided with the spaced cut lines 22 and 23 which define a tab 24 of predetermined length or width.

Each of the side edges 26 and 27 and the end edge 29 of the cover section 1.1 are provided with a pair of converging cut lines 30 and 31 which define a trapezoidal area forming a locking tongue 32 therebet-ween. The locking tongues 32 are approximately similar in length to the tabs 24. The inner or closer ends of the cut lines 30 and 31 are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to, or slightly less than, the distance between the cut lines 22 and 23. The locking tongues 32 are designed to register with the tabs 24 or to overlie the tabs 24 when the cover section is swung over onto the base section.

As the sections are swung together, as indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, a downward force is exerted upon the locking flap 32, tending to bend the outer end of the locking tongue into concave form, the sides of the tongue exerting a downward force upon the flange 21 outwardly of the cut lines 22 and 23, the central portion of the locking tongue 32 flexing the tab .24 downwardly. The tab 24 flexes downwardly with comparative ease while the portions of the flange 21 outwardly of the cut lines 22 and 23 tend to resist downward flexing. When the locking tongue has been pressed downwardly to a suflicient extent, the side edges of the locking tongue flex beneath the portions of the flange 21 on opposite 3. sides of the cut lines 22 and 23, as indicated in FIGURE of the drawings, the locking tongues then holding the two sections in face contact.

While the locking operation is extremely simple and requires little force, the bending force must be applied to the areas of the tongue and the tab and the locking tongues will hold the package closed very eflectively unless an opposite bending force is applied in the same area. As a result, the package cannot readily open ac cidentally. However, if the combined locking tongue and tab when in the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 are grasped and bent upwardly, the locking tongue will bend into convex form and may be pulled through the area normally occupied by the tab to disengage the lock. Due to the fact that the films are sufficiently resilient and flexible to be locked and unlocked without injury to the locking tongues, the locks may be used repeatedly if desired.

The locks when formed as shown, also are effective in the event the two tray sections tend to bulge apart due to the weight of the contents or due to the manner in which the package is handled. Any tendency for the center of the package to bulge apart creates an inward pull upon the locking tongues acting to tighten the locks rather than to loosen them.

The locking structure is operable if the lower section of the package is notched instead of being provided with spaced cut lines. In other words the structure will operate if the tabs are cut off at their base. However, the tabs serve the purpose of urging the locking tongues into locking position and accordingly provide a stronger lock than when the tabs are cut away.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in vegetable packages, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I

desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A lock for use in conjunction with a package having two sections foldably connected together and including planar flanges having contiguous edges opposite to the line of fold connecting said sections, said contiguous flanges being in face contact, the lock including a pair 4 of substantially parallel cut lines extending into said edge of one of the flanges of one of said sections toward said line of fold, said cut lines being substantially perpendicular to said edge, and a pair of cut lines extending into the said edge of one of the flanges of the other section defining a locking tongue therebetween, said tongue "having a free outer end and a base connected to said other section, the cut lines in said other section intersecting the cut lines of said one section at the base of said tongue and extending divergingly outwardly of said out lines in said one section at points outwardly of the base of said tongue to impart a gradually increasing Width to said tongue in a direction away from said base.

2. A lock for use in conjunction with a package having two sections foldably connected together and including planar flanges having contiguous edges along the unhinged edges thereof, said contiguous flanges being in face contact, a plurality of spaced locks in said flanges, each lock including a pair of substantially parallel cut lines extending into said edge of one of said flanges of one of said sections toward the interior of the section, said cut lines being substantially perpendicular to said edge, and a pair of cut lines extending into the edge of the flange of the other of said sections defining a locking tongue therebetween, the said tongue having a free outer end and a base connected to said other section, the cut lines in said other section intersecting the cut lines of said one section at the base of said tongue and extending divergently outwardly of said out lines in said one section at points outwardly of the base ofsaid tongue to impart a gradually increasing width to said tongue in a direction away from said base.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,067 Lee Feb. 5, 1878 229,893 Kehr July 13, 1880 545,567 Baker Sept. 3, 1895 811,659 ORiley Feb. 6, 1906 2,120,470 Patterson June 14, 1938 2,827,222 Buttery Mar. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,905 Great Britain 1888 398,044 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1933 

1. A LOCK FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PACKAGE HAVING TWO SECTIONS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER AND INCLUDING PLANAR FLANGES HAVING CONTIGUOUS EDGES OPPOSITE TO THE LINE OF FOLD CONNECTING SAID SECTIONS, SAID CONTIGUOUS FLANGES BEING IN FACE CONTACT, THE LOCK INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CUT LINES EXTENDING INTO SAID EDGE OF ONE OF THE FLANGES OF ONE OF SAID SECTIONS TOWARD SAID LINE OF FOLD, SAID CUT LINES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID EDGE, AND A PAIR OF CUT LINES EXTENDING INTO THE SAID EDGE OF ONE OF THE FLANGES OF THE OTHER SECTION DEFINING A LOCKING TONGUE THEREBETWEEN, SAID TONGUE HAVING A FREE OUTER END AND A BASE CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER SECTION, THE CUT LINES IN SAID OTHER SECTION INTERSECTING THE CUT LINES OF SAID ONE SECTION AT THE BASE OF SAID TONGUE AND EXTENDING DIVERGINGLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID CUT LINES IN SAID ONE SECTION AT POINTS OUTWARDLY OF THE BASE OF SAID TONGUE TO IMPART A GRADUALLY INCREASING WIDTH TO SAID TONGUE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID BASE. 